Process of manufacturing oxides



(No Model.)

S. R. 8a A. 0. BRADLEY. PROCESS OF MANUFAOIURING OXIDES.

' No. 404,254. Patented May 28, 1889..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN ROlV E BRADLEY AND ARTHUR CROSSMAN 3RADLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING OXIDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,254, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed February 18, 1888. Serial No. 264,516. (No specimens.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN ROWE BRAD- LEY and ARTHUR CROSSMAN BRADLEY, both of Brooklymin the count-yof Kings and State of New York, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of lllanufacturing Oxides of Easily- Oxidizable Metals, such as Litharge and the Oxide of Zinc; and we do hereby declare that the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description and specification of the same.

The object of our invention is to enable the metal to be oxidized rapidly and at asmall cost; and the invention consists of an improved process by which the object is accomplished.

The several parts of the invention are set forth in detail in the claims at the close of this specification. In order that. they maybe fully understood, we have represented in the accompanying drawings, and will proceed to describe, the form of apparatus which we preli'er to use for the purpose, and will describe the mode of operation by 'its use.

Figure 1 of said drawings represents a longitudinal section of said apparatus, and Fig. 2 represents a larger face View of the form of gas-nozzle which we prefer to use. Fig. 3 represents a modified form of combined gasin jecior and comminutor.

One of the principal members of the apparatus represented in said drawings is the oxidizing-chamber A, which may be ten feet long, three feet broad, and six feet in height. Atone end of this chamber is the combined gas-injectorand c( mminutor. This consists of a gas-nozzle, l3, and a feeder, C, For delivering a stream of molten metal to the currentof gas proceeding from the gas-nozzle. The orifice of the gas-nozzle is made preferably of crescent form, (as represented in front view at Fig. 2,) and the supply of gas to this nozzlc is controlled by a valve, (.1, in the supplypipe. The feeder (1 consists of a funnel, c, terminating in a feed-pipe, f, which delivers the molten metal directly to the jet or blast of gas proceeding from the gas-nozzle, and the delivery of the metal is cont-rolled by a movable gate or valve, 9, which is fitted to the feed-pipef.

arranged in an air-pipe, J, in which the injector-nozzle is preferably adjustable, so that it may be set by trial at the most advantageous position for operation.

The end of the oxidizing-chamber which is farthest from the gas-injector and commi-' nuter is connected with a dust-collector. The construction of dust-collector which we prefer to employ is a bag c r llector such as is used inthe manufacture of oxide of zinc,and its pipes may be connected with the oxidizin g-chambcr by a connecting-pipe, L, of sheetirou. The pipcsand number of bags 171. may be extended as found necessary to collect the dust oxide which passes from the chamber A andpermitthe gaseous products to escape through the cloth of the bags, leaving the dust in the bags.

In operating with the above-doserihcd apparatus intlannnable gas (sucln'for example, as natural gas) is supplied to the gas-injector Bat the requisite pressure, the pressure which We recommend for the purposebeing eighty pounds per square inch. and islighted, (through an aperture in thoside of the casing ll, provided for that purpose.) Then molten metal (lead, for example) is fed in a stream to the jet or blastol gas by meansol' the feeder (I The molten metal is thus subjected to the action of ablasl'ol' inflammable The gas is turnedon gas under pressure, and the action oi the jet v or blast upon the stream of molten metal comminuies it by separating it into minute globules and distributes it in the atmosphere of the oxidizing-chain])er, while at the same time the gas, being in a burning condition, furnishes the heat required to cause the metal to burn in the air in the oxidikingchamber, a. supply of air being (,tll'llitl in through the air-tube J by the action of the blast, so that when the air-tube is open the metal is subjected to a combined blast of burning 'gas and air. The metal is thus si multaneouslycomminuici'i.distributed in the oxidizing-chamber, and h t d 11c burning tempera! urc by the jet of gels proceeding from the injector. The eomminuted metal burns rapidly and is converted into its oxide. The chamber forms an inclosed space in which the distributed metal and the oxide produced arennder confinement, so that the loss that would accrue if the burning was effected in the open air is prevented. Such of the oxide as falls in the oxidiZing-chamber collect-s therein and may be removed at intervals through doorways a, provided for the purpose, these doorways being closed by doors when the operation is proceeding. Such ox- .ide as does not drop in the oxidizing-chamber is carried with the current of the gaseous products of combustion and any excess of air into the dust-collector and is collected therein.

If the oxidizing-chamber is made large enough, a supplementary dust-collector is not necessary, as the oxidizirig-chamber in such case operates both as oxidizing-chamber and dust-collector, and the collection in a long oxidizirig-chamber may be facilitated by the use of partitions arranged as is Well understood, so as to make the current of mixed gaseous products and oxide take a zigzag course.

Inthe mode of practicing our invention thus far described the 'nflammable gas is supplied eentrally ot' the compound gas-injector and cmnminutor, and the air is supplied laterally ol' the gas; but this arrangement of the supplies may be reversed and the air may be supplied under high pressure. In practicing our invention with this variation we prefer to construct. the compound gas-injector and comminntor as represented in section at Fig. ii. In this case the central nozzle, 13, may be supplied with air under pressure, pressure of eighty pounds per square inch b ing a good pressure for the purpose,) while the inflammable gas may be supplied through lateral pipes orthrough a pipe, J, which surrounds the central nozzle, and' may then be supplied at a comparatively low pressure, as the force of the air under the high pressure will be sufficient to comminute and distribute the molt en metal, while the inflammable gas, which mixes with the air and is burned, supplies the requisite heat for oxidation. The chamber A and the dust-collector used with this variation of the process may be the same as previously described.

The apparatus above described is not herein claimed, as we have made the same the subject of a separate, application for a patent, which application is numbered 260,384.

We claim as our invention- 1. The process, substantially as before set forth, of manufacturing metallic oxides by subjecting molten metal in a stream toa blast under confinement in the presence of burnin g inflammable gas.

2. The process, substantially as before set forth, of simultaneously comminuting molten.

STEPHEN lltlllll BRADLEY. Alt'lllllll ROSSMAN BRADLEY.

*itnesses:

Jean 13. FROTIIINUHAM, FREDK. J. SHARP. 

